dialogue with doc

Between September 1968 and June 1969, I was in eighth grade at St. Teresa School. I was asked to participate in a debate on whether or not the US should be in Vietnam, and to take the position for our participation. My knowledge of current events at the time was pretty limited – of course I did know about Vietnam, especially as I had two cousins there. What I’d learned from my parents at the time was unquestioning patriotism, so I had little difficulty in supporting participation.

My eighth grade graduation

A year later, I was one of 750 freshmen at North Hills High School, and wearing a black armband for the moratorium opposing Vietnam. I had joined an interdenominational Christian youth group and was opposed to violence and killing. In fact, when the moratoriums took a violent turn on some college campuses, I stopped wearing my black armband. I couldn’t see one kind of violence being okay when the other wasn’t.

Over the years I’ve been opposed to violence as a rule. On the other hand, I also appreciate those who serve in the military and the police, while I still preferred a non-violent approach to life. Yet here I am, organizing a workshop in which writers can experience the use of firearms, and do various other things that don’t fit readily into my non-violent leaning.

So why am I doing this?

Last Fourth of July I went to a groundbreaking ceremony at INPAX, because my brother is the developer for McCandless Crossing, where INPAX is located. There I met Sam Rosenberg, the founder and CEO of INPAX, and had a chance to talk with him. He was intrigued by the possibility of our working together on a project, and when I sat down with him over the winter, we came up with a program.

Sam Rosenberg

My sister-in-law is also a writer, and Hope had attended the Writer’s Police Academy when it was still located in North Carolina. She loved the experience, and while I didn’t want to copy the size or scope of it, I thought there might be a need for a smaller intensive in which fewer people all went through the same program together.

Years ago, when I was selling gargoyles at the flea market, I was parked next to a guy who was selling guns. We talked throughout the day, as neighbors do at a flea market, and in a quiet moment, he offered to let me hold one of his pistols. It was small, silver, and much heavier than I would have expected. Even more unexpected was that I found I liked it. Actually, I would call it appalling more than unexpected.

So, I know from experience that intellectual knowledge about a firearm is quite different from physical knowledge. I also know that intellectually imagining how to deter an attack on someone is quite different from physically training with Sam, who has been a bodyguard for Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, and doing a field exercise under Sam’s supervision.

There’s no doubt, this workshop is out of my comfort zone. And to make it even tougher, I intend to participate in the activities, so that I know what participants are doing.

Picture from INPAX website

There’s also no doubt that Sam has helped me put together an incredible program. And being able to bring in New York Times bestselling author Robin Burcell (she co-authors a thriller series with Clive Cussler), who spent more than 30 years in law enforcement, to teach writers how to make their law enforcement characters realistic.

I’m curious how it will feel to do this workshop, and I’m grateful for the support I’ve had in pulling it together.